yeah, it's not usually all that necessary re: bitterness, but it does improve the texture by drawing out all that excess moisture. no point in bothering if you're roasting it for something like baba ghannouj, but i do it when i want firm slices or cubes for grilling, baking or sauteing.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/10960-egg...This CHOW recipe is a good one. I use a mandoline to cut the eggplant into LONG julienne, and the peppers and onions into the thinnest possible rings. When it all cooks down, everything is in long strands, which makes it have a hearty mouth feel. I start it by searing diced pancetta - just an ounce per quart of sauce. It has so much flavor that the sauce tastes meaty. If I have dried mushrooms, I cook those into the sauce as well.

I make the noodles as thin as possible, cook them longer than the recipe calls for and I add a lot more pepper flakes and basil because it's a bit bland, but it's a great basic technique and recipe.I salt it to get a firmer, more dry dish, but I know a lot of folks who don't. I salt the noodles after cutting, in a big strainer that sits across my sink.

No. This is made with no meat, a thick layer of ricotta/egg mixture and layered three times (as a lasagna) with moz and parm cheese.Edit: and tomato sauce between the layers. Just like lasagna without noodles (and without bechamel)